Bold Moves

One thing I think people over look in home decor is making a bold statement. I have noticed in pictures I'm drawn to, its often a focal point or a bold move that strikes me the most. When people have small spaces, they can be timid about using focal points. A big painting, a bold color, a cool sink, all of these things can add up to one great looking room, no matter what its size!

Stylish Storage

Small space is all about storage planning. The first thing I consider is do I want open or closed storage. If what I'm storing is not pretty or interesting to look at, I go with closed storage. For the most part, I opt for closed, its easier to cram stuff in when you have people coming over on short notice! I do have open storage in my office. There I find I can be a bit more creative and practical all at the same time.

Weathered Wood

Weathered wood is one of those trends I bet some people thought would die a early death. Some of my friends do not like the look at all. If done right, and in the right place, I think it looks great. A room full of it is too much for me. I love the texture it can add to home decor. The top picture would make my mother in law break out the paint cans, but I really like how it looks!

Cubbies

Cubbies seem to be everywhere in pictures these days. They do make a lot of sense, I just don't know if I'm disciplined enough to have open shelving. No, I'm not. Love how they look tho. How about you? Are you cub worthy?

falu rödfärg

: : to further prove my point. here are some summer wishes from my wonderful friend .linn. with the falu rödfärg. in hand, painting her summerhouse. .linn. is also a Boston transplant, and was home in Sweden during the same time I was this summer.

tack .linn. ! så fin du är!

red.house friends

: : I know that I've been telling all of you that most every house in Sweden is painted red with white trims. well, I admit, most of that was all part of building a good story. then I went home just a few weeks ago. and took a trip through the Swedish country side with my two best friends. I couldn't get over what I saw.......literally EVERY house was painted red with white trims. Only with the exception of a few white and yellow houses. [The main house on a farm was often painted yellow or white to be separated from the red barn.]

I was blown away, how could I have forgotten? It really is true, almost every house in Sweden is red with white trims. So naturally, I was hanging out the window for the whole drive, snapping pictures of all the houses. here is just a small sample. I have a fairly extensive collection of pictures of red.houses now. maybe one day I'll do a gallery show or something. it's a fascinating phenomena I think. you'll see when you go to Sweden. I'm not lying.

cambridge eco shop

: : .iz and i. were strolling around cambridge a few weeks ago and came upon a new store called .greenward. specializing in eco-modern goods. there I found about every single product that I have ever used in an inspiration board for environmentally friendly/eco conscious products.
they also have a great selection of books on green building, ways to reuse/recycle products, creating your own household cleaning products, eco design/interiors....most topics that you would want. this store is definitely worth a visit. find it on basement level off of .mass avenue. between .harvard & porter sq.

sanna annukka

: : I have blogged about her before. I adore her work. Finnish graphic artist .sanna annukka.
I found out via .oh joy. that her work is now available to buy on her site. Though for a substantial share of money.

HGTV Rate a Room

I'm sure most of you have seen rate a room on the HGTV website. I have mixed emotions about it. On one hand, I love seeing how regular people decorate. There are some really talented people out there. Some of the comments are down right mean! I'm all for constructive criticism, but yikes! Here are a few rooms I thought were done very nicely. Do you have a favorite rate a room?

Neat Tricks

I love creative and clever ways to use space, large or small. Here are a few pictures I came across that I thought were fun. White totes are found all over these days but the way they used these are really eye catching. Who says a kitchen is too small for a pot rack? Using stylish ottomans for a coffee table is a fantastic idea!

Style File- Black and White

Lucy and Desi, peanut butter and jelly, black and white. What do they all have in common? They were made for each other! Ok, Lucy and Desi for the 50's but you get my drift! Black and white has been around forever it seems and for good reason. A fun way to tweak black and white is to add a 3rd color to the mix in a smaller dose.

Small Efficient Kitchens

These kitchen are great examples of small but efficient kitchens. They may be tiny but for what they lack in size, they make up for it with great style. If at all possible, a table or small workspace is a big plus in a small kitchen.

Signs

I've always had a thing for quirky wall signs. I have quite a few in my house now, my favorite being a canoe sign (top picture). This was my office wall and has since changed but I still have that sign. Feels like it belongs at summer camp, and thats why I bought it. I also have a matching one in green that says cabins. My friend Linda redid her bathroom (stunning!) and added a subway sign (2nd picture). Thats the first sign I've seen in awhile thats made me swoon!. Ebay is a great place to find old signs etc.

Pottery Barn Bed and Bath Fall Line

I received my Pottery Barn Bed and Bath catalog in the mail yesterday and really liked what I saw. They have a very nice mix of things for fall. You can check out more bedrooms on their website. (Click on title of this post to link you to their website)

Chalk

I have to admit, when I first started seeing the use of chalkboards in home decor, I thought it would be a passing phase. Its been awhile now and it does not seem to be fading at all! I love the use of chalkboards in the home. They give visual punch with such stark blackness, although you can now find chalkboards in all sorts of colors. I've used chalkboard paint in the past too. Adding magnetic paint to chalkboard paint is a great combination.

A Small Corner

I love to look at pictures of how people use and decorate those small corners in their homes. Those odd corners or not too big spaces can be a perfect opportunity to get creative. If you can create something that is nice to look at and useful you'll feel doubly great!

summer days

: : so eager to share......... my favorite place on earth. .mitt favorit smultronställe.

patterns of my summerhouse

: : hej : : happy to be back. but suffering from a difficult case of homesickness. my days spent at home were absolutely wonderful. and our summerhouse is a piece of heaven on earth. there really is nothing like it! I tried to soak it in as much as I could while I was there, but it still didn't feel like I had enough time. and how I miss my family and friends....it was not easy to leave this time. but I have lots of wonderful pictures to look at and dream about sunny warm days by the water, croquet tournaments, fresh seafood every day, sauna baths in the middle of the night....[the sauna was just built and is the small wooden house right on the water].

first a collection of patterns from around the house. such a beautiful old house, with so much charm. has been in the family for more than 50 years.

Impact

Adding color is one of the best ways to add high impact to a room. As many times as I've read that in decor magazines, I still love seeing examples of color. The possibilities are endless!

Creative Use of Space

I love creative uses of space. Bathroom sinks are becoming so creative, you can see new styles all the time. When your able to put in a place to sit with a table, its great as long as its not so small you can hardly squeze in. The last picture looks more like a space to have a chat with the person cooking your meal, but that works too.